Southside Chattanooga Lead Site needs federal funding for contaminated soil

Many homeowners in Southside are dealing with dangerous levels of lead in their soil. The area is now called Southside Chattanooga Lead Site, and it impacts hundreds of homes.

Tuesday night neighbors met with the EPA to discuss a plan to continue cleaning the hazardous soil.

The EPA is trying to get the site on the national priority list in order to get federal funding. The program cleans up hazardous waste sites and in this case that's neighborhoods.

"It's kind of scary to tell the truth," said neighbor Robernetta Thompson.

The contaminated area focuses on seven neighborhoods. Since 2011 officials have already excavated nearly 100 properties, those are the homes with the highest amount of lead, and nearly 300 samples of soil have been tested.

Like Thompson's yard. "They put about a hundred holes in my yard. They came out. They did a lot of digging," said Thompson, "Then I got a letter saying my yard was contaminated.”

More than 70 properties are still on a list to be cleaned up. Playgrounds in the area have also been tested.